Federal Safety Plan Will Revamp Airport Operations

Federal aviation experts are putting the finishing touches on a plan that would dramatically change airplane operations in and around Fort Lauderdale.

The proposal, which will take effect March 13, would require all pilots flying within 10 miles of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport tower to stay in contact with air traffic controllers.

Theoretically, that would reduce the possibility of midair collisions between commercial airliners and private planes while allowing planes to fly more closely, because they could be tracked more precisely.

Currently, pilots of small planes are not required to maintain communication with the tower. The new plan would require two-way radio contact within 10 nautical miles of the airport for planes at altitudes of 1,200 to 4,000 feet.

Passengers on commercial flights would benefit because airlines could add arrivals and departures at peak times. Schedules were made less convenient for regular flights after the air traffic controllers` strike in 1981.

Still, at airports where the plan already has been implemented, an increased workload for air traffic controllers caused delays. So far, there are no plans to hire new controllers in Broward, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Bob Burns of the FAA`s Airspace and Air Traffic Rules Branch would not discuss specifics of the plan, but he said that local comments collected at a meeting in September would be considered before the rules are implemented March 13.

But some private pilots who initially opposed the Airport Radar Service Area concept say they will accept it with one key modification. The modification is being considered by the FAA.

It would change the northern boundary of the area affected by the regulation to exclude Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, where there are about 15,500 takeoffs and landings every month - all of general aviation aircraft.

``If they go with the generic ARSA, it will be a nightmare,`` Al Peacock said of the original proposal. Peacock, a pilot and Fort Lauderdale lawyer, is president-elect of the general aviation Florida Aero Club.

He said that if the plan is not modified, some pilots taking off from Executive Airport would waste time trying to establish contact with the international airport tower for the few moments they are inside the limits of the radar zone.

While they wait to hear from controllers, Peacock said, pilots would have to hover just outside the 10-mile limit.